


The Ace Warrior

by kishidanchougoroshi



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 11:03:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12839820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kishidanchougoroshi/pseuds/kishidanchougoroshi
Summary: Ohno Satoshi was one of the best samurais of Hojo clan. He took a mission to infiltrate Asakura clan which was suspected of planning a coup d’état to Edo Shogunate. He was involved in an unexpected situation during his stay at Asakura castle including an eventual meeting with the General’s son which almost change his mind.





	The Ace Warrior

**Author's Note:**

> Note of words:
> 
> Seppuku : The mode of suicide by cutting the stomach which was adopted amongst Samurai when they have no alternative but to die.
> 
> Bushido : “Way of the Warrior”) the code of conduct of the samurai.
> 
> Edo Bakufu: last feudal Japanese military government, which existed between 1600 and 1868.

“Satoshi, this work is not for a samurai. We can hire a ninja to do that,” Sakamoto, the General of the main troop told him.

“I don’t put any trust in them, Sakamoto-san, my father was killed by a ninja,” he replied. “Let me throw this honor of mine and become your spy at the enemy’s territory.”

Sakamoto looked at him with a heavy gaze; considering his decision. “You’re one of our most important warriors, Satoshi. Losing you is not an option.”

“I’ve done various missions and succeeded, it will go the same with this one,” he answered, smiling at the older man. 

“You’re such a stubborn man,” Sakamoto said. “This spying and assassination mission is difficult, your opponent is the main general of the Asakura clan. The security around him is so tight. Have you thought about it?”

“I have arranged a plan,” he replied. “It will take months, perhaps.”

“If you fail, you know what waits for you, Satoshi.”

“Seppuku,” he said without hesitation. “I will not die before my enemy and I will not come back until the mission is accomplished.”

“Satoshi,” Sakamoto put both of his hands on his shoulders. “No matter what happens, a samurai doesn’t die as a pathetic man, remember that.”

*** 

Ohno moved among the trees, gripping his sword tightly in his right hand, despite Nino’s protest that they should continue their journey to save time. He climbed one of the trees and looked around the forest; there was no suspicious movement or sound, only birds chirping around them. Ohno jumped down and adjusted the sword inside the scabbard, making sure it was tight enough. He walked back towards the log where he and Nino camped. Nino had finished collecting their stuff and was ready to leave when Ohno arrived.

“Anything suspicious?” Nino asked.

“No,” Ohno shook his head.

“Told you, sometimes your ears fool us,” he shrugged, lifting the bundle in his hands towards his horse.

Ohno didn’t answer, he approached his horse and caressed its face, the male brown horse he named Kurama. The horse made a sound as if telling him that he was eager to continue their journey.

“We need some food,” Nino said from behind him. “We have to go to a village and you’d better hide that sword to avoid unnecessary attention, just in case,” he gestured to Ohno’s scabbard.

“I have no intention to start a fight,” Ohno shrugged at his friend.

“But the trouble seems to find you,” Nino said, climbing his horse. “Let’s get going.”

Ohno climbed his horse and followed Nino from behind. The sun had completely risen now, revealing the scene before them. It was a valley; Ohno could see the village down there. He did as Nino told him, hiding the sword below the bundle of their camping tools.

Nino had pulled his hood up to cover his head as the sun rose higher. It was nearly summer which was good since they could sleep below the trees without the need to worry about the cold air. It was risky to decide to take this mission and Ohno had told Nino that he didn’t need to go along with him, knowing the consequences they would face. But, in the end, Nino accompanied him anyway, with the excuses that he wanted to see the other parts of the country and he didn’t do it for Ohno’s sake. Ohno was touched by Nino’s loyalty, even though he couldn’t promise anything, whether their journey would end up happily or badly – the latter seemed to be more likely, though.

They had been travelling for a week towards the territory of a village which belonged to the Asakura clan. It was located in the north of Edo. The Asakura clan was suspected to conduct a coup d’état towards the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Daimyo of Hojo clan was tasked to collect the information to prevent that from happening. Sakamoto was the most trusted general among Hojo-clan samurais; Ohno was one his underlings who also held the responsibility of captain, but he had handed over that position when he took this mission.

Ohno let the sun burn his skin as they rode their horse towards the village. His kimono was already worn out, a few stiches were torn apart, but clothes weren’t his concern now. He had more important things to think about.

“Ohchan,” Nino called. “Can we stay over in this village? I miss sleeping on a futon.”

Ohno adjusted his speed with his friend, “Sure, I think I miss a futon too.”

“You lie,” Nino mumbled. “You rarely get any sleep.”

Ohno flashed a weak smile at Nino, he always kept an eye open at nights, always stayed alert. He was worried that someone was following them.

“Well, I guess we can get some sleep tonight,” Ohno said, yawning widely.

They entered the village and were welcomed by two guards at the entrance gate. They asked a few questions and let them enter after making sure that both of them weren’t villains. One of the guards guided them towards the stable where they could entrust their horses.

Ohno took the bundle where he hid the sword and shouldered it. He and Nino walked towards the center of the village, looking for a place to eat first. They sat at the far corner, avoiding every possible attention. The people around them were talking about the conflict at the neighboring village which involved two clans of samurai.

“They are fighting for the lands, sooner or later their conflict will turn into a real war,” one of them said.

“Samurai are always villains,” his friend answered.

“I heard the Asakura clan is making another move,” the other voice said. “They have made a deal with the ninja village, what a dishonor,” the man added.

Ohno exchanged glance with Nino. The closer they got to the Asakura clan territory, the more they heard about their dealings.

“Do you think they will let us in?” Nino asked as if continuing their talk. “It’s rather suspicious to accept two rōnins without a clear background,” he added. 

“It’s a gamble,” Ohno replied shortly.

“You always take everything easily, how did you survive with such an attitude?” Nino shook his head. 

Ohno chuckled as he heard that. “We’ll make it.” 

“Unless they decide to kill us in our sleep once they know who you are and what are you up to,” Nino mumbled.

“My name is not uncommon, besides, I’m not a famous person and we are mere rōnin now,” Ohno answered.

Both of them found a cheap inn to spend the night. The land lady looked at Ohno with a suspicious gaze, but said nothing. She glanced at the bundle in his hand and seemed to struggle not to ask any questions about it.

Ohno slumped his back on the futon and looked at the ceiling above him, thinking about his home land. He was far away from home now, trying to disguise and hide. Sakamoto was right that it wasn’t a job for a samurai. But Ohno didn’t trust any ninjas, they had no pride, had no loyalty, they would abandon the mission if the other party offered them a higher payment.

Nino slept in no time, but Ohno’s eyes wouldn’t close. He rose from the futon and took his sword. He opened the door carefully and left the inn. The night was as peaceful as he could imagine; the stars blinked in the dark sky, the soft breeze touched his skin.

Ohno stepped further from the inn, trying not to make any sound. The village was completely silent; everyone was asleep at their respective house. Sometimes, he would imagine how it felt to live without the need to fight, the need to kill, the need to invade.

He looked at the sword in his right hand; he had killed uncountable enemies in his almost 30 years of living. The other samurais called him the Iron Fang because he killed their enemies without mercy. Every time he took their life, he felt that a piece of his soul had also left him.

Ohno recalled his past, he came from a family who served Hojo Daimyo as their blacksmith. Ohno’s father was known as the best blacksmith his village could have and was almost promoted to serve Edo Bakufu when he was killed by a group of ninja. It was known later that the ninja were hired by a rival clan of Hojo. Ohno was only 13 when that happened; he had been taken care of by Sakamoto ever since.

***

“Where were you last night?” Nino asked as they packed their belongings in preparation to leave the inn the next morning.

“Nowhere, a little walk, you know,” Ohno answered, shrugging.

Nino gave him a suspicious gaze, but decided to not ask any further. Nino was Ohno’s childhood friend, they trained under the same mentor, even though they ended up in different specialties. Nino was very good in using bow and arrows, meanwhile Ohno was best at using the sword. Just like Ohno, Nino was also a cold-blooded samurai who never hesitated in killing his enemies. He never trusted anyone and Ohno was one of the few he could befriend.

Both of them were rather short and skinny. Their appearance gave them an advantage, since the enemies couldn’t really discern their true strength. In term of handsomeness, Nino won. He had a nice nose above pretty lips, his skin wasn’t as dark as Ohno and he had nice hair. 

Ohno never really paid attention on how he looked. He didn’t mind getting sun tanned because living as a warrior meant he had to be outside all the time. His face was just boring lines, he looked sleepy all the time and he never had any admirers like Nino. He never thought of having a love relationship because he knew that they had to be ready to welcome death at any time. Besides, nobody would likely fall in love with his ordinary looks.

“Did you get something from your little walk?” Nino asked.

“This village apparently is just a normal farmer village, nothing more,” Ohno said.

“Does it help us?” Nino asked.

“I don’t know, I like to explore a little,” Ohno replied, smiling at his friend.

“Alright,” Nino said. “Let’s go to the enemy’s territory and try not to get killed before the mission is complete,” he continued, trying to sound as if they were going to do something fun.

“I’ll think about it,” Ohno answered.

They headed to the exit of the inn and towards the stable to get Kurama and Nino’s horse, Tobi. They then headed north where Asakura’s territory was located. Ohno had predicted that they needed to stay at Asakura’s village for months if they wanted valid information about the upcoming coup d’état. For now, they just hoped that they could enter the village without any problems.

Nino closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “It’s a suicide mission,” he mumbled.

Ohno didn’t answer, he looked to the distance across the river, it was too late to step back now. The village of Asakura clan was located across the river, it was surrounded by rice fields. When they got nearer, Ohno found a few smiths who produced various kinds of weapons. Ohno had learnt about the smiths at the villages which were located close to Edo; they were still below his standards. He hadn’t heard about the quality of smiths in Asakura, but from the way they worked, Ohno could tell that they were still far from good.

Ohno and Nino jumped off their horses and walked along the street until they almost reached the center of the village. The village seemed wealthy enough and seemed familiar with travelers. They headed towards a teahouse at the end of the street which was rather full of people. From the look of them, Ohno knew half of them were samurai. He and Nino chose to sit at the far corner where they could see the other guests, trying not to attract any attention.

“Are you traveling to the capital of Asakura clan?” the old lady who brought their order asked with a smile on her lips.

“Yes,” Nino answered.

“They need a lot of young men, are you going there for a job?” she asked again.

“Yes, we need a job right now,” Ohno replied this time, he could see from the corner of his eyes there was someone who listened in to their conversation.

“What a nice coincidence, I hope you get the right job there. Please enjoy your tea,” she said while leaving them.

Ohno sipped his tea and ate the dango, his left hand moving to his sword as he saw a man from the table beside them approaching. Nino looked at him and from the look in Nino’s eyes, Ohno knew his friend was thinking the same thing.

“Are you going to Asakura clan territory?” a voice asked.

Ohno turned at the man and found a cheerful face. He loosened the grip on his sword and nodded. This man didn’t seem dangerous.

“I work there,” he said, looking at both of them. “Do you want me to guide you to the village?” he asked.

“I think we can find our way, thank you,” Nino answered.

“Alright,” the man said. “But, you know, I will return to the village anyway, so we can go there together. My name is Aiba Masaki, may I know yours?” He sat down beside Ohno, ignoring their cold reaction.

“Ohno Satoshi,” Ohno replied after a reasonable pause, he glanced at Nino who answered from the corner of his mouth.

“Ninomiya Kazunari.”

“I’m a cook,” Aiba continued. “I’m trying hard to get to the higher rank instead of thinking of a different menu every single day,” he grinned at Ohno and Nino, hoping for a response.

“Good luck,” Ohno said shortly when Nino decided not to give any comments.

“Are you interested in working for Asakura clan? The General most likely will let you stay because we are lacking in personnel recently. We need more men for the troops and the other work as well,” Aiba said.

“It’s a coincidence that we need a job,” Nino mumbled. “We’ll be very grateful if you can show us the way,” he added.

“Of course,” Aiba answered. “You just need to mention your skill and they will assign the most appropriate job for you.”

Ohno didn’t expect that it would be that easy to infiltrate the Asakura clan territory. He had anticipated they needed some background check, so he and Nino had prepared some fake stories in case they needed to lie.

They paid for the tea and dango and followed Aiba’s steps towards the center of the village which was located around two hours from there. Ohno and Nino left their horses at the nearby stable after paying some money to the keeper, telling him that they would come back for the horses a few days later.

Aiba talked along the way about his village, about the current general, about the system and about their main troop which consisted of the finest samurai.

“It’s everybody’s dream to join the main troop,” Aiba explained. “We can practice with any weapon we want and if we’re lucky enough, the General will take us to meet the Daimyo at the capital or even joined the Daimyo troop, isn’t that honorable?”

Nino gave comments, but Ohno chose to stay silent. This Aiba seemed innocent and had a little knowledge about the rules in this particular samurai clan. Ohno had survived the hard bushido after being chosen as Sakamoto’s underling, not mentioning that he broke one of the honorable samurai’s rules by taking this mission of his own accord. The risk of losing his status as a samurai didn’t restrain him from doing this duty.

They reached the village two hours later. Aiba told them to wait at the main shelter before the administrator gave them a job. It would take a day for them to decide and for the time being, Ohno and Nino were free to explore the village with the note that they couldn’t come any closer to the main castle.

The administrator came to their temporary shelter at night. He was short and had a childish face. He introduced his name as Ken and noted their name on the parchment. He gave them a little interview and told them that their task would be delivered tomorrow morning.

“The main administrator will decide where to place you based on my report,” Ken said. “Please enjoy the rest of your evening,” he added.

“Thank you,” Ohno said.

He and Nino decided to take a rest. There were three other men in that temporary shelter, they didn’t talk to each other which indicated that they came from different villages. Ohno lay down on the tatami floor, closing his eyes. Nino did the same beside him. They didn’t talk for the rest of the night, drowning in their own thoughts.

Ken came early in the morning and told Ohno that he would help at the smith, while Nino was placed in helmet production. They bid good bye and walked towards their respective working places. Ohno was more than glad when he accepted the job; it had been a while since he had made a sword on his own. He simply never touched any smith tools as he joined Sakamoto and dedicated himself as a full-time warrior. 

He entered the sword section and found four other men there. All of them glanced at him as he joined them. He introduced himself briefly; the youngest among them approached him and led him towards his working place.

“My name is Inohara,” the man said. “I’m the person in charge of this section. Our main task is making weapons, particularly swords. I believe you have done it before.”

Ohno nodded.

“Good,” Inohara smiled. “This is our standard size,” he handed a finished sword to Ohno. “We don’t make other sizes unless the castle requests us to do so. Any questions?”

“No, thank you Inohara-san,” Ohno bowed slightly.

“You can ask me later if you find some difficulties,” Inohara said while walking away from him.

Ohno sat down and started to work. It had been years since he made swords, but he still remembered the details. He knew that it would be hard to gather information from this kind of place, but he would find a way. Besides, they didn’t need to be in a hurry. Impatience would lead them into reckless action.

When the night fell, Ohno took a walk outside of the village. It was kind of a habit; staying away from the crowds helped him to think. He climbed one of the trees and leaned against it. The lights from the village could be seen from his sitting place; the voices from the drunken samurais were brought by the wind to his place. He didn’t expect someone would appear from the direction of the village, half-running as if someone was chasing him.

He was a young man, a sword was in his right hand. He walked passed the trees and headed towards the clearing nearby which still could be seen from Ohno’s hiding spot. The man seemed not aware of Ohno’s presence since he was completely hidden behind the leaves. The man swung his sword and practiced by himself.

Ohno watched him, wondering why he needed to practice by himself in the darkness as if he was hiding his hard work from his comrades. The man’s face wasn’t clear from above the tree, but Ohno could discern the movements perfectly; he was good in controlling his sword, nevertheless with not enough power.

The man seemed tired after some time, he took a rest under the tree which Ohno had climbed. If he looked up, he would find Ohno, sitting awkwardly on one of the tree’s trunks. He tried not to make any sounds since he didn’t want to give unnecessary explanations and he was sure that the man didn’t want to be found.

***

Ohno went to the clearing every night, climbed the trees and waited for the man to come, but for five nights, the man didn’t show up. He looked up to the night sky, thinking of his home, wondering how his underlings were doing. His position as a captain was replaced by Kamiki, the young samurai whose ability in sword fighting was as good as Ohno.

On the sixth night, he was about to climb down the tree when the man he had been waiting for appeared, but this time, he had no sword with him. He went farther into the trees, limping forwards. Ohno jumped down like a cat to suppress the sound, he followed the man towards the clearing, but kept himself hidden.

The man kneeled down and pulled out a knife, he loosened his kimono, revealing his bare chest which was pale enough that it glowed under the moonlight. Ohno knew what the man was going to do and he instinctively ran closer. It was the seppuku ritual. The man whined in pain as he cut his belly with the knife, but before he completed the ritual, he felt Ohno grip his wrist to prevent him from hurting himself any further.

“What are you doing?” the man’s eyes widened in horror as he saw Ohno.

“Saving you,” Ohno said.

“Let go of me,” the man struggled his hand free from Ohno, but the latter refused to let go. “Don’t you know the honor of a samurai?” the man hissed.

“Perhaps I know more than you do,” Ohno answered, squatting beside the man after taking the knife away from him.

The man looked at him with anger in his eyes; the glare was sharp, but it didn’t make Ohno loosen his grip on the man’s hand.

“Don’t interfere,” the man hissed to him, trying to get free. “Or I’ll kill you.”

“Try me,” Ohno smirked. “Your way of committing seppuku is not right, I can’t let you die wrongly. Besides, you need someone to behead you, you can’t do it alone. I didn’t bring any swords with me, so I can’t be of help, that’s why I need to save you for now, at least.”

The man looked at him with fierce expression. “Don’t lecture me about how to do the seppuku ritual,” he said.

“I’m not lecturing you, I’m reminding you,” Ohno said.

They stared at each other for a long time before the man made a movement and freed himself from Ohno’s grip. He searched for another knife from the fold of his kimono and pointed it at Ohno.

“Fight me,” the man said.

“It’s not fair, I have no weapon with me,” Ohno said, shrugging.

The man threw his knife to the ground and ran to him with his fists tightened, aiming for Ohno’s jaw. Ohno avoided the impact at the last minute, trying not to fight back. He defended himself from the man’s attack which became more intense. The man’s fist finally hit him on his left cheek, and it was enough to make Ohno lose his balance. He wobbled, but still managed to hold the attack, this time he blocked the man’s fist and twisted his hand behind his back, then he tackled the man’s foot and slammed him to the ground.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Ohno said, squashing the man below him.

“Who are you? I’ve never seen you before,” the man said while trying to get free from Ohno’s grip.

“A new worker on the swords section,” Ohno replied, loosening his clutch on the man’s body.

The man slowly sat down and rose off the ground, examining Ohno from head to toes. “What’s your name? Sword maker?”

“Ohno Satoshi,” Ohno answered, “You can find me at the smith if you want to resume our fight in a fairer way.” 

“I’ll remember that,” the man said, turning around and leaving towards the village with heavy steps. It must be shameful that somebody was blocking him from doing seppuku. 

Ohno watched him leaving, wondering why he prevented the man from committing seppuku. He rubbed his left cheek where the man hit him. It was hurt and he was sure that there would be a bruise there the next day. He found the knife which belonged to the man a few meters away from the log and took it. He walked back towards his dormitory; the other workers were already fast asleep. He lay down with his hands on the back of his head. It had been two weeks since he arrived here; it felt longer than that. He wondered how Nino was doing at the helmet section.

***

Ohno was working on a new sword when someone approached him, telling him that the General’s son was here to order something. He was curious what kind of business did the General’s son have with him. Did he know Ohno’s plan by coincidence? He inserted a small knife inside the fold of his kimono before leaving his working place – just in case he needed to use it.

A man was waiting for him outside; he wore a black kimono with a sword in his right hand. He had dark thick hair and sharp eyes under a pair of nice-shaped eyebrows. Ohno was taken aback when he recognized the face, he was the same man he met a few nights ago – the same man who tried to commit suicide.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” Ohno said to the man who looked at him with an irritating expression on his face.

“I didn’t know that we have a new sword maker,” the man replied, looking at Ohno with a weird gaze. “You don’t look like one to me,” he continued.

Ohno smiled, “You do look like the son of a General,” he said which made the man’s jaw stiffen. He waited for the man to reply, but nothing came out of his mouth. The man extended his hand which held the sword to Ohno.

“Can you fix it?” he asked.

Ohno took the sword and pulled it out from its scabbard; it was almost broken on the middle part.

“I can make a new one for you instead of fixing it,” he said.

“I don’t want a new sword, I want it fixed,” the man said impatiently. “If you can’t do it, fine.”

Ohno’s smile widened; he wasn’t affected by the man’s short-temper, on the contrary, it amused him. He was sure that this man didn’t come here only to ask him to fix the sword, besides, there were another five men here in the blacksmith. It was weird to choose Ohno instead, considering that he was the newest member.

“I didn’t say that I can’t,” he said. “I’m not in a position to deny an order from the General’s son.”

The man looked at him with a curious gaze, it seemed that he tried hard not to speak something awful to Ohno.

“Sho-kun!” Someone approached them, he held something in his right hand. He gave Ohno a brief glance before speaking to the man he called Sho. “There’s an immediate meeting at the castle, your father is waiting for you.”

“Thanks, Jun,” Sho said. He turned to Ohno, “Get that sword fixed in the next two days,” he said before leaving him. He and Jun walked away towards the castle, Ohno watched them until he couldn’t see either of them anymore.

He examined the sword he got from Sho closely. From the look of it, he knew it was old enough. There was nothing special about it, except the pattern on its handle. The kanji characters showed the word ‘brave’. Ohno had read about the Asakura clan, they put a liking on swords more than any other samurai clans. He inserted the sword into its scabbard and walked back towards his working place.

“What did he want?”

“Nino,” Ohno was taken aback as he saw Nino sitting down on one of the chairs near the fireplace, an apple in his left hand, half-eaten. “What are you doing here?”

“Visiting you,” Nino answered, giving his apple another bite. “I’m glad that you made friends with Sho-san.”

“I didn’t make friends with him,” Ohno shook his head. “He just wants to fix this sword,” he handed the sword to Nino.

Nino pulled it out and paid attention to the broken part in the middle of the sword, his brows raised in bewilderment. “This thing must be so important to him. It’s aged fifty years or so, perhaps the sword was handed down from his ancestor and he entrusted this to someone who he didn’t really know, isn’t that weird?”

Ohno took a seat beside Nino and grabbed the apple from the man’s hand. “Do you think he knows what we are doing?” he asked Nino from the corner of his mouth.

“No,” he shook his head. “They simply consider us as capable workers. I never guessed that you’re so good in making swords, the whole place is talking about you, including Matsumoto Jun. I heard that the man hardly praises anyone.”

“Matsumoto Jun?” Ohno asked, recalling the man’s face who looked for Sho.

“He’s the main administrator who assigned us for our job,” Nino shrugged. “I heard that he’s an asshole,” he continued.

Ohno chuckled. He took the sword back from Nino’s hand and tried to guess how old this thing was. It reminded him of his own sword which he got from his grandfather who was also a sword maker. He had been using it ever since.

“I’ll fix it,” Ohno said.

He was about to tell Nino that he met Sho before when the man almost cut his own belly, but he refrained himself from doing so. He didn’t know why, but he had a hunch that Nino wouldn’t be so happy if he found out that Ohno had saved the enemy’s life without purpose.

“Where did you get this apple from?” Ohno asked when Nino was about to leave.

“Aiba-kun brought it for me from the kitchen,” Nino answered.

Ohno guessed that he wasn’t the only one who had become familiar with this place.

***

Ohno worked on Sho’s sword for the next few days. He could fix it faster, but something made him work on the sword longer. He wanted to give the best, not because he wanted to impress Sho, but because of his respect for the old sword.

The air was hot when he made the final touch on the broken sword; he loosened his kimono and took off the upper part. Sweat covered his skinny figure, dripping down from his neck to his chest and stomach. He entered the sword into the embers, pulled it back out and hit it a few times with the hammer.

Ohno put the sword to cool down on a big tray, he stretched out and inhaled a few deep breaths. He felt satisfied that he was finally finished fixing it. He didn’t know where to find Sho to hand it to him. The man didn’t come to claim his sword after two days like he said. Ohno heard that the upper rank samurai were holding more meetings, some preparation for war, and Sho’s presence was essential since he was the general’s son.

He recalled the night when he and Sho met under the oak tree, the night when he foiled Sho’s attempt to cut his belly. Somehow, he felt guilty for doing that, every samurai had their own reason to do seppuku and nobody should have prevented it from happening. Ohno wondered whether Sho would try to do it again in the near future.

That night, Ohno brought the sword towards the same oak tree, not that he was expecting to meet Sho there, but because he simply wanted to think. He had written a long report to his quarter and had sent it through their courier. There was still time, he thought. He and Nino would do it smoothly without causing any casualties.

“It’s my place to think,” a voice was heard from behind him.

Ohno turned around and saw Sho. The man approached him with the same scowl on his face. Ohno wondered whether this man had ever smiled. His handsome face probably would look better if he did so. 

“Sorry, I didn’t know that,” Ohno said.

“Do you like it here?” Sho asked.

“Sort of, it’s quite far from the village and nobody seems to come here,” Ohno replied.

Sho shifted closer and sat down beside him, he closed his eyes for a while and took deep breaths several times. Ohno glanced at Sho’s left hand, there were a few scratches there and he noticed they were still fresh.

“I finished fixing your sword,” Ohno handed the sword to Sho.

“How did you know that I would come here?” Sho asked, taking the sword from Ohno’s hand.

“I didn’t know, I just carry the sword around in case I meet you because I have no idea where to find you,” Ohno replied. “Sho-kun,” he added.

Sho’s scowl grew deeper as Ohno mentioned his name, he lifted his eyes to meet Ohno’s.

“A sword maker like you has no right to call me by name,” Sho said.

“I’m sorry,” Ohno replied. “I’ll be more careful.”

Both of them didn’t speak for minutes, letting the silence fall between them. Ohno leaned his head against the tree and looked up to the sky; the soft breeze blew on their skin, it felt good.

“Are you afraid to die?” Sho asked all of a sudden.

“I’m only afraid of a pathetic death,” Ohno replied. He opened his eyes and turned to Sho, the man was examining his sword with the utmost care as if it would break anytime.

“Samurai are meant to die in honor,” Sho mumbled more to himself than to Ohno. “A rōnin like you would never understand it.”

Ohno snorted, he had helped many samurais who committed seppuku when they lost in battle or when they couldn’t stand their shame. He had killed many samurais who died in pride instead of kneeling down. He had the same pride as Sho.

“Perhaps I have not enough pride,” Ohno said. “But at least I have prevented you from dying a pathetic death,” he continued.

Sho pointed the sword to Ohno’s neck, “I can behead you here and nobody would know.”

“Nobody can fix your sword as good as me,” Ohno said, smirking at Sho.

Sho inhaled a deep breath and pulled the sword away, “Come to the main building tomorrow morning, there’s something I want you to do.”

“Me? Why?”

“We need more warriors for the main troops,” Sho said lightly. He rose up from the ground, inserting the sword into the scabbard and walked away.

“Wait,” Ohno chased him.

Sho paused his steps and turned at him.

“What should I call you the next time we meet?” Ohno asked playfully.

Sho offered a weak smile for the first time, “If you can defeat me tomorrow, you can call me by my first name,” he said. The man turned around and walked away from the log. Ohno couldn’t help but smile when he watched Sho’s back.

***

Ohno visited Nino early in the morning and told him briefly about what Sho wanted him to do. Nino seemed to want to ask many questions but they had not enough time, they would have to save it for later.

The sun had just risen in the eastern sky when Ohno arrived at the main castle. A young samurai welcomed him and guided him towards the inner part of the castle; he told Ohno to enter the dojo which was located exactly in the middle of it. The dojo was large, it had a shiny wooden floor, various kind of swords were hanging on its walls and there were slogans here and there, written beautifully in kanji characters. 

There were another ten men there, all of them had brought a sword and looked fierce. Ohno was the last in the line, the other men looked at him with a questioning gaze, but none of them spoke to him.

These samurais were alike in term of appearance; their kimono was in the same black color, they carried the same swords on their belt and their expression was fierce. Ohno could guess that they came from the upper class, compared to them, he looked completely unpresentable. He was an upper rank in his own village, but he had no time to pay attention to his outfit with the many troops that he needed to train and the tasks from the superiors which always kept him busy.

The same young samurai entered the dojo and announced that General Sakurai would be here any minute. Ohno’s grip on his sword became tighter as he heard the name. The General was his target, he could challenge him and make it look like an accident. Once he finished the assassination, Nino could go back to his village and report it to his father and the other superiors. He didn’t care about what would happen to him afterwards. He looked around the room, considering his chances. These ten men looked skilled enough and if he made a movement, they would block him before he could lay a hand on the general. He would get killed for nothing.

He took a deep breath and restrained himself from doing a stupid thing. All of them bowed as the general entered the room. There were a few other samurais who had entered the dojo, all of them took a seat on the left and right side of the general.

“Raise your head, gentlemen,” the general said.

The general was about 60 years old, he was firm and had a strong face. His hair was all white, he wore a dark blue kimono, and a sword was securely tucked on his waist. Sho sat on his right meanwhile Jun was on his left side. There were seven other samurais behind them, all of them had strong facial expressions.

“We need additional men for the front troop,” the general began. “Sho has come up with the idea to hold a selection based on your ability in combat. The winner will join the main troop and will train intensively from tomorrow onwards. I have checked your background, all of you are fighters except one sword maker, but my son has recommended him and I agree to give him a chance.”

Everyone stole a glance at Ohno as the general spoke of him. One of them gave him a mocking gaze.

“You will fight my best warriors including Jun-kun and Sho. I will only choose two of you to join the main troop. You can fight with the real sword, but please avoid the vital parts, I can tolerate injury, but not death,” the general swept them with his sharp gaze as he spoke.

Ohno glanced at Sho, wondering why Sho recommended him to join this selection. They fought once and that night, Ohno didn’t even give his best because he wasn’t in the mood to fight. Sho turned to him and their gaze met, Sho’s expression was hard to guess, he nodded at Ohno before shifting his gaze to another samurai.

“Let’s begin,” the general said.

Ohno’s mind wasn’t on the fight at all. He was torn between two options. If he lost on purpose, he would probably suffer an injury and his chance to gather the information about the general would be limited. If he won, he would be able to join the main troop where he could get access to some important information. It was weird after all to be part of the main troop – he guessed that the position was sought after by almost all of the young samurais in Asakura, but Sho had chosen him to join the selection – an outsider of all people. He had no time to think as the eighth samurai was called to fight Jun.

Ohno paid attention to their fight. Jun was good in using sword, but he wasn’t in a full control of it. He was lacking in power despite his well-built body, but he was good enough, using strategy to defeat his opponent.

“Enough,” the general said when Jun cornered the opponent. “Jun-kun wins,” he continued.

Jun let his opponent free and returned to his seat next to the general, his expression was flat as he watched the opponent leave the dojo while wincing in pain.

“Next, Sho and the sword maker, Ohno Satoshi,” the general announced.

Sho rose up and drew his sword without doubt, his eyes locked on Ohno’s face, inviting him to do the same. Ohno slowly rose off of the wooden floor, his right hand reached the handle of his sword. Sho’s expression was stiff, there was no sign that they had a nice little talk the night before.

Both of them got into position, lifting their sword and ready to fight. Sho attacked first, he swung the sword to Ohno’s left side which would have given him a fatal wound if he didn’t dodge it. Sho’s movements were fast, but they were predictable, just like the first time when he fought Ohno with bare hands. Ohno was too busy dodging Sho’s attacks, he didn’t want to hurt the man, but on the other hand, he had to win this fight.

Their swords met with loud sound, Ohno pushed forward, cornering Sho. Their gaze met, Ohno could see the burden inside those brown orbs, probably the reason why Sho wanted to kill himself that night.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Ohno said from the corner of his mouth.

“As if you can,” Sho replied, breaking the contact and this time his sword scratched Ohno’s shoulder blade, tearing his kimono. “Fight me seriously, don’t pity me,” Sho said.

“Alright, if thats what you want,” Ohno approached closer and began attacking Sho with complicated movements. He tackled Sho’s left foot and pushed him to the floor, his right hand which held the sword was ready to stab.

“Bravo, Ohno-kun,” the general clapped his hands. “I didn’t expect you to be that good.”

Ohno let Sho go and bowed towards the general; his heart pounded hard, he could behead the man now as they were very close to each other. The old man approached and patted Ohno’s shoulder in a friendly way. Jun looked at him with a scowl on his face, but he didn’t give any comments. Sho rose off of the floor and inserted his blade into the scabbard, he stood beside his father, avoiding eye contact with Ohno.

“You will join our troop, Sho will explain the details. For the time being, you may return to your dormitory to collect your stuff,” the general said. “Jun, tell the quarter to prepare a room for our new warrior,” he continued.

“Yes, Sir,” Jun answered. He excused himself from the dojo without any more words. The general patted Ohno’s shoulder once again before he turned around and walked out of the dojo, leaving Sho and Ohno there.

“Welcome to the upper rank, sword maker,” Sho said.

“I don’t understand,” Ohno replied. “Why did you recommend me?”

“It’s a gamble,” Sho shrugged. “I knew that you were not just a sword maker when I challenged you to fight and it would be such a waste if you don’t use your potential. You can fight better than me, way better than any of my underlings, so I want to give you a chance, that’s it.”

“You didn’t see me fight that much,” Ohno said, carefully inserting his sword to its scabbard.

“It was a hunch,” Sho shrugged. “Come, I think I have a new kimono for you.”

Sho led the way out of the dojo and guided him towards the other part of the castle, he didn’t speak a word along the way. Everyone bowed in respect as they passed in the corridors, all of them gave Ohno a questioning look.

“The word about you will spread all over the village,” Sho said. “Everyone wants to join the main troop, but when they come for a selection, they fight like shit. We can’t win any wars with that kind of ability. I have ordered Jun to increase their quality by adding to their practice and it’s a long way to go.”

Ohno listened to Sho’s rumbling without giving any comments because he knew that Sho didn’t expect him to speak back.

“We are nothing compared to Hojo clan in term of fighting skill, you know,” Sho turned to him.

Ohno’s chest fluttered as he heard it, Sho had mentioned his clan, but he tried to make his facial expression as neutral as he could.

“I have heard of them too,” he said shortly.

“Here,” Sho said, turning left in the corridor. “It’s my personal space, you can wait at the back veranda, I’ll have someone bring your kimono.”

Ohno did as he was told. The castle was enormous, but it was smaller compared to the castle in his village. He had no personal space, because Sakamoto wanted to occupy as many troops as possible in the main building.

He sat down on the floor while staring at the little garden in front of him. He had been here only three weeks and he had already gotten a chance to enter the main castle, to the general’s son’s personal space. His kimono was torn on the shoulder from the impact of Sho’s sword. He didn’t expect Sho to be responsible for the damaged clothes since he didn’t look like someone who would do that, but he wasn’t in a position to question Sho’s motive and it was probably better to accept his kindness.

Sho’s steps were heard a few minutes later with a nice folded kimono in his hands. He kneeled down beside Ohno on the floor and handed the clothes to him.

“Thanks,” Ohno said, touching Sho’s hand accidentally as he took the kimono; the man acted as if nothing happened and pulled his hand away. “So, may I call you by name now?” Ohno asked, flashing a small smile at the man. 

“I guess,” Sho replied, he didn’t smile but his expression softened.

They stared at each other for minutes, trying to guess what was hidden inside their mind. Ohno was good at waiting, he stayed still, not backing up from their staring battle.

Sho’s shoulders were way broader than Ohno, his bangs fell naturally to his forehead, he had a pair of pretty eyebrows. His gaze was always sharp and seemed alert to his surroundings all the time. 

“Thanks for fixing my sword, Ohno-san,” Sho said after a long pause. He finally averted his gaze to the flowers in the little garden in front of them. 

“Thanks for the kimono, Sho-kun,” Ohno replied, his eyes still on Sho’s face. The man looked even more handsome from the side.

Sho nodded, “You may leave, I’ll be waiting for you at the training ground tomorrow morning.”

“Okay,” Ohno answered, extending his hand to touch Sho’s face but he stopped when he realized what was he doing. He was relieved that Sho seemed not to realize his intention.

He rose off of the floor, wondering whether he could find the way out of this castle by himself. He looked at Sho for the last time before leaving, the man was checking his sword with a serious expression on his face. Smiling, Ohno stepped along the corridor, tucking the kimono in his hands. 

***

“Main troop?” Nino said surprisingly when Ohno told him the details. They were having dinner at the ramen shop at the border of the village. “I don’t like it, Ohchan,” he continued.

“Why? It means that I have more access to their plans,” Ohno said, finishing his ramen.

“They will kill you in an instant if they find out,” Nino pouted. “Why are you smiling like that? It’s creepy.”

“Nothing,” Ohno averted his gaze from his friend. He couldn’t help himself from smiling when he remembered Sho’s face. “I won’t be killed before the mission is over,” he said.

“I appreciate your confidence,” Nino replied. “I’m afraid that you’ll change your loyalty to this castle instead of accomplishing your mission.”

Ohno extended his hand to Nino’s shoulder, “I’ll accomplish the mission,” he muttered.

He didn’t want to think about the assassination mission right now – not when he was looking forward to meeting Sho on the following day. What would Sho do if he found out that Ohno was here to murder his father?

Ohno pushed the thoughts away, he would think about it later.

He listened to Nino’s story about his boring works on the helmet section and how Aiba recommended him to move to the cooking section. He told Ohno about the other rōnins who worked here, where they came from and why they ended up leaving their home village, as expected from Nino, he could gather more information than Ohno could, meanwhile all Ohno had done was find the way towards Sho’s private quarters.

They finished their dinner and returned to their own dormitories. Ohno couldn’t sleep that night, his mind was occupied with so many things. He shouldn’t be glad about his achievement in joining the main troop, it wasn’t his main goal to be here. He closed his eyes and Sho’s smile appeared almost immediately in his mind, he tried to push the man out of his head, but he failed. There was something about him which attracted Ohno’s attention. 

***

When Ohno reached the training ground, Sho and Jun were already there, practicing swords. Both of them were topless, their upper kimono hung from their waist. Sho’s muscled arms got harder as he lifted the sword and swung it towards Jun. Sweat dripped down from his neck to his abs, Ohno could see a huge scar on Sho’s back which he probably got from battle.

Ohno watched them while leaning against the tree. He noticed Sho’s body and it was hard to take his eyes off the man, the lines on his back, the shape of his chest, the hardened muscles, the pretty abs and before he realized it, he gulped. 

“Are you also a new comer?”

Someone asked him from his left side. Ohno turned to the guy, he sat down on the ground; eyes on the practicing log, his arms crossed over his chest. Ohno nodded at the question.

“My name is Takeru, what’s yours?” the man asked.

“Ohno,” he answered shortly.

“I’ve heard about you, you’re the sword maker,” Takeru commented. “I saw you beat Sho-san yesterday, it’s a rare scene, you know.”

Ohno didn’t comment on that statement, he averted his gaze towards Sho and Jun once again. Both of them had already stopped, they headed towards the main training ground, talking lightly. Ohno and Takeru followed behind them.

“You’re here,” Sho said as he saw Ohno. “You look good in that kimono,” he commented.

“Thank you,” Ohno replied, ignoring the fact that Sho was still topless, he tried hard to keep his face neutral.

“We’ll practice with some other samurais, come,” Sho said, glancing at Takeru as well. “You’ll practice with me,” Sho added to Ohno when all of the main troop samurais gathered.

Ohno only nodded in response, he and Sho walked towards the far corner where they could have enough space. Seeing Sho’s half-naked body while fighting wasn’t a pleasant experience for Ohno because it kept interrupting his concentration. Sho’s sword almost scratched him when he attacked Ohno.

“What’s wrong? You’re distracted” Sho said.

“I’m learning your movements,” Ohno replied. He really wanted to tell Sho that he never fought any enemies with their kimono half-opened because it damaged his concentration. 

Both of them were all sweaty when they finished. It was nearly lunch time, the other samurais had returned towards the castle, both of them were the only ones left. They slumped under the tree, taking shelter from the summer sunshine.

“Where did you learn those sword techniques?” Sho asked, wiping his sweat on his forehead. “I don’t think you learned it while making swords.”

Ohno searched for the right words before answering; he didn’t want to sound suspicious. “My father is a sword master. I learnt from him.”

“Where did you live before you came here?” Sho asked again.

“Is this some kind of background check?” Ohno asked in return, facing Sho.

“Well,” Sho shrugged. “I just want to know you better. If we are going to work together from now on, I have to know about you.”

Ohno gave the other man a soft smile. “Will it help you to recognize me in battle?”

“Don’t underestimate me,” Sho said, finally returning Ohno’s smile.

“I don’t,” Ohno said, after a pause. “You’re persistent, you know that,” he gave Sho a stern look.

“Everyone says that,” Sho replied, averting his eyes away from Ohno. He could see that it wasn’t because Sho was shy, but it seemed that he didn’t want to give Ohno a chance to sneak what was in his mind through the depth of his eyes. “Aren’t you hungry?”

Ohno nodded as a response.

“I think Aiba-kun is ready to feed us.” Sho rose off the ground and walked ahead of Ohno towards the main building.

***

For the rest of the week, Ohno joined the daily practice with the other samurais. Sometimes, he trained with Jun whose ability in combat was better than Sho, only he couldn’t control his emotions very well when he came into a fight.

On a rare occasion, he was invited for an official tea ceremony in the main castle. In that case, he would need to borrow a presentable kimono from Sho which granted him a chance to enter Sho’s private quarters. Ohno couldn’t guess whether Sho did it on purpose, but he kept Ohno a little bit longer that night, telling Ohno to choose the kimono he liked. When he had already chosen, Sho would find excuses and told him to choose one more.

Ohno also realized one thing; Sho seemed to smile more in the past few days. Sho’s smile was perfect, its effect was similar to the morning sunshine which hit Ohno hard right through his heart every time he saw that smile. His laughter was the most beautiful sound Ohno ever heard. Sho rarely laughed over jokes his friend said and when Ohno could make him laugh with an anecdote he randomly mentioned, it was a kind of personal achievement for him.

“Red looks perfect on you,” Sho said, checking his appearance from a distance. “I’m not good in choosing color, but I think it suits you.”

“Sho-kun, I don’t want to look outstanding in a tea ceremony,” Ohno mumbled, loosening the red kimono and folding it neatly.

Sho looked at him as if he had just said something horrible, “You should ask Jun to choose one for you,” he said, slumping on the tatami floor while crossing his hands over his chest.

“It’s fine by me to wear anything,” Ohno chuckled, joining the man on the floor. “And I don’t want to put a burden on Jun-kun.”

Sho didn’t say any words, he stared into space, drowning in his own thoughts. They sat down side by side closely, their hands rested on the tatami and it was almost natural when Sho’s hand found Ohno’s. The latter turned his gaze towards their touching hands and then moved his sight to Sho who still looked into space. Sho said nothing but his grip on Ohno’s hand became tighter.

“See you at the tea ceremony, tomorrow, Ohno-san,” Sho said as Ohno was about to leave.

There was an awkward atmosphere between them which wasn’t there before, but Ohno managed to smile and nodded.

“See you, Sho-kun.”

Sho’s smile had made Ohno sleepless that night, he kept on staring at his right hand. Sho’s touch remained there, it had brought a strange warmth into Ohno’s heart.

***

Ohno sat down across from Sho during the tea ceremony; they were divided into a few groups where they could discuss the recent situation in Edo and the surrounding areas. Ohno only listened to their talk since there was no way for him to show that he knew the situation better than they did.

He admired Sho for his knowledge; he explained in details about the plan they had built, something which would be useful for Ohno to report to his village. But there was something aching in his heart as he thought about it. But there was no way back; he had no choice but to accomplish his mission.

“We would deliver a letter to Fujiwara clan, a proposal to form an alliance,” Sho said. “I have gathered information about them. They don’t want a formal move which means we have to deliver the letter in secret. In that case I have to choose one of you to travel with me.”

All of the men around the table glanced at each other, some voiced their disagreement, some said that it was dangerous to travel without a complete troop. Sho lifted his right hand to silence them, his eyes found Ohno.

“It’s a gamble, I know,” he said. “But our choice is limited, I’ll take the risk. Ohno-san will travel with me.” 

Everyone’s eyes were on Ohno now, they seemed to measure his ability, however none of them spoke up. Nobody questioned Sho’s motive in choosing him, aside from the fact that Ohno was an outsider and the newest member of the main troops.

When the tea ceremony finished, Sho approached Ohno and told him to wait at Sho’s personal quarters.

“We need to talk,” he said.

Ohno nodded and stepped towards the corridor which would bring him to Sho’s chamber. He counted his own steps while thinking of how to tell Nino about this sudden development. He was so busy thinking that he almost bumped into someone in front of him.

“Watch your step, Ohno-san.”

Ohno lifted his face and found Jun’s fierce gaze. Ohno wondered whether this man was always in a bad mood; he scowled deeply as if Ohno had really bumped into him.

“You’re probably Sho-san’s favorite, but it doesn’t apply to me,” he said.

“Sorry about that,” Ohno answered lightly.

“I’ll tear apart your mask sooner or later,” Jun continued, giving him a sarcastic smile while walking away towards the opposite direction.

“I have no mask, though,” Ohno mumbled, but he was sure that Jun couldn’t hear him.

He waited for Sho while staring at the falling flowers; the autumn had approached. The air had turned colder each day which meant no topless Sho anymore in the training sessions. It took a little while before Sho finally showed up. He gave Ohno a weak smile and asked him whether he wanted something to drink.

“We’ve just had some tea,” Ohno replied.

“Alright,” Sho sat down in front of him. “Let me get to the point about our assignment.”

“Go ahead, I’m all ears,” Ohno said.

“We’ll depart tomorrow at dawn, you can prepare your belongings because we need to travel for three days,” Sho explained. “I’m aware that you have a horse with you.”

“Yes, he’s at the main castle’s stable.”

“Good,” Sho nodded. “Make sure you bring everything you need.”

“I don’t have any baggage,” Ohno shrugged. “A sword and food will be sufficient for me.”

Sho gave him a disbelieving look, but he didn’t comment on that. “Alright, you don’t need to worry about food. Aiba will have it ready tonight, enough for three days travel. In order to prevent the possibility of being late, I personally think that it’s better for you to sleep here to…” Sho stopped when he met Ohno’s surprised gaze. He averted his gaze away and continued. “I’m not a morning person, I need someone to wake me up.”

Ohno wanted to say that Sho could do that with the help of one of his guards, but he swallowed the words back and decided to agree on what the man said. Besides, he had expected it and perhaps Sho thought of the same thing.

Sho had one of his servants add an extra futon to his personal quarters. Ohno’s room was right beside his, only separated by the wooden door. Sho seemed to have many things to do before going to bed since Ohno could hear him walking back and forth in his room. Ohno, meanwhile forced himself to sleep. If Sho expected Ohno to wake him up the next morning, at least he must have a good sleep.

Ohno wasn’t sure whether he was dreaming or not when he felt something touch his face. Someone’s fingers were tracing his face line and stopped on his lips.

“Sleep tight,” he heard a whisper in his ear.

He moved his hand to touch the man, but he only grasped empty air. Perhaps he was certainly dreaming.

***

When Ohno woke up, Sho was waiting for him on the veranda. He said that the nervousness had turned on his natural alarm. They had their breakfast in silence, knowing that they would have a full three days to talk to each other on their way. Ohno looked at Sho’s face, trying to find a sign that he was the one who touched Ohno’s face the night before. It must be him since there was no one else in the main room, but Ohno himself wasn’t sure whether it was reality or just a dream. Sho caught his gaze and smiled at him which sent a weird sensation into Ohno’s stomach. 

They walked together towards the stable to get their horses; the sun hadn’t risen, but the soft light at the eastern sky was enough to light their way. Ohno carried two swords with him, a few knives, and a bow and arrows, just in case they needed to use a long-distance weapon.

He didn’t expect to find Nino half way; arms crossed over his chest. “Can we talk?” he asked Ohno, ignoring Sho.

“I’ll be quick,” Ohno told Sho and followed Nino towards a clearing which was a few meters away from the stable. He made sure that his voice wouldn’t be overheard as he spoke.

“I hope you know what you are doing,” Nino said. Ohno knew he referred to his mission with Sho. “Don’t you think it’s suspicious for both of you to go to just deliver a letter?”

Ohno thought for a while; it wasn’t that weird for a particular clan to deliver a letter to another clan. But in that case, they mostly used a courier. In Sho’s case, they would need to explain the motives and the advantages, some kind of diplomacy, and in order to do that, Sho had to represent his clan.

“I’ll be alright,” Ohno said.

“That’s not what I mean,” Nino shook his head. “We’re here for our own mission and you…” he paused to find a proper word. “You and that Sho-san, I don’t know what kind of bond you have with him.”

Ohno was taken aback, he looked at Nino’s hard expression. He couldn’t find any excuses to defend himself.

“Ohchan,” Nino said with softer tone. “I know I’m no one to you, I’m just a mere underling, but I don’t want you to step down the wrong path. I want us to stick to our mission. We pay this with our life.”

“My life,” Ohno corrected. He didn’t want to admit this to Nino, but he was torn inside. He knew he shouldn’t feel this way towards his enemy – but he couldn’t control his feelings. He was weak every time he saw Sho, his smile was enough to erase Ohno’s true purpose. Sometimes, he wanted to run away with Sho, stay away from all of this mess. Sometimes, he wished he were not a samurai. Living as a farmer seemed way better than as a warrior.

“Rest assured, we’ll accomplish our mission, okay,” he patted Nino’s shoulder and left him towards where Sho was waiting.

“Is everything alright?” Sho asked.

“Yes,” Ohno replied. “He is worried about me.”

“Such a nice friend, huh?” Sho said.

Ohno nodded and said nothing. They got their horses and rode through the morning air of early autumn. Ohno’s horse, Kurama seemed very eager to start a journey, he ran with full speed, leaving Sho’s horse behind.

“Ohno-san, wait!” Sho screamed from behind.

Ohno reduced his speed and waited for Sho. He chuckled lightly when Sho was near enough. “Your horse needs more sport,” he joked.

“I’m not the best horse rider,” Sho mumbled. “It seems that I need to learn a lot from you.”

“I’m not the best teacher,” Ohno said, shaking his head.

They headed towards the west, the path was sandwiched between the line of trees which were still green, but soon enough their leaves would turn brown or red and begin to fall down. Sho was right behind him, talking about the old poems he had read about autumn. He had learnt them once and tried to write one, but the result was so awful that he swore he would never write again. Ohno laughed, it felt so good to listen to Sho’s voice along the way. He was never a talker himself. Having Sho, who was very good in telling a story, was kind of entertaining. He thought their journey would be very enjoyable.

They got off the main path and found a river nearby; it would be a perfect place for them to take a rest for lunch. Both of them jumped off their horses and sat down below a big tree by the river. Aiba’s rice balls were as delicious as they expected. Another thing Ohno loved about Sho was his expression when he ate something delicious. He would close his eyes for some time to taste the food. He was closing his eyes now while chewing the rice ball. When he opened his eyes, their gaze met.

“There is a crumb on your lips,” Ohno said, extending his hand to Sho’s lips. His thumb almost touched the corner of Sho’s lips when the man held his wrist and pulled him closer. Sho’s movement was so fast that Ohno still couldn’t grasp what had happened when their lips met. Ohno needed a few seconds to digest what Sho was doing. Sho’s lips were soft, just like what Ohno had imagined.

Ohno pulled away but still close enough to Sho, his heart beat wildly inside his ribs. He knew it would happen sooner or later, but he never expected that Sho would take the first move.

“If I got killed, at least you know my true feelings,” Sho said.

Ohno chuckled lightly and ran his fingers through Sho’s thick hair, “I’ll never let you get killed,” he whispered. There was a sting in his heart that had nothing to do with fear; he had made the biggest mistake by falling for Sho and now it was too late for him to take it back.

“Can I call you by your given name now?” Sho asked, smiling at him.

“To be honest, I’ve been waiting for that,” Ohno replied.

“Satoshi-kun,” Sho said, leaning closer and kissing him again.

Ohno had given up, he would think about everything later. For now, he wanted to enjoy every minute he could alone with Sho. Once he accomplished the mission, there was no way for them to be together. Sho would turn to hate him and they would end up as enemies. In that case, they had only a limited time left and Ohno would make sure it would be time they would never forget.

They continued their journey; Ohno would look back every now and then and found Sho smiling at him. When the night fell, they searched for an empty log where they could lay down. Ohno let Sho snuggle in his arms, sharing a thin blanket. He thought of inviting Sho to run away; abandoning their duty and living somewhere faraway.

He kissed the top of Sho’s head, pulling the man closer to him. He never guessed that he would find someone he loved in the enemy’s nest. He had tried to deny his feelings and ignored what he felt for some time, but he couldn’t avoid the fact that he liked Sho more than he should. It was a weird encounter after all; he hadn’t asked Sho why he wanted to kill himself that night. Sho seemed to never fail and he had a great ability as a fine samurai.

Ohno closed his eyes and pushed away his run of thoughts. Let it be, he thought, letting himself fall into a slumber. 

***

They passed by a village on the second day where most of the villagers were farmers. They glanced at Ohno’s double swords with a suspicious gaze. Both Ohno and Sho decided to take a rest at a teahouse while opening their lunch. Ohno recalled the time he travelled to Sho’s village with Nino, the first time he met Aiba. It had been five months since he infiltrated Sho’s village and he couldn’t feel any weirder that he took a mission as a representative of Sho’s village instead of his own.

“We’ll get to Fujiwara clan territory tomorrow night,” Sho said.

“Have you ever travelled there before?” Ohno asked.

“A long time ago,” Sho answered. “When the Daimyo in Edo were still in their right mind,” he sighed.

“Are we really going to fight the Daimyo in Edo?” Ohno asked since Sho never explained in details about their true motives in forming the additional troops. He had collected the information about the coup d’état Sho’s clan had planned, but when he infiltrated the village, it seemed that they had been preparing for something else.

“It depends on many things,” Sho answered, sipping his tea. “I hope the war will never happen, I personally love peaceful life.”

Ohno smiled at the man, “Me too,” he muttered a reply.

The remainder of their journey went without problem. They were welcomed by a magnificent scene when they travelled closer to their destination village. They could see Mount Fuji at the far end as the background of the valley. Ohno stopped for a while to enjoy the panorama before him. Sho was right beside him, clutching the reins to stop his horse. He turned his face to Ohno.

“It’s beautiful,” Ohno said, averting his gaze to Sho.

“Yes, it’s beautiful,” he replied, but his eyes didn’t leave Ohno.

Ohno wished he could move closer and kiss Sho on his lips, but they had no time to waste now.

“We’ll arrive soon,” Sho said.

“Let’s go,” Ohno spurred Kurama on to run through the path towards the valley.

The village border was heavily guarded, they asked many questions of Ohno and Sho and demanded they give up their weapons with the promise that they would get them back by the time they leave.

“You aren’t here for a fight are you?” one of the guards asked. “I bet you don’t need these things,” he took Ohno’s arrows from the big pocket hanging from the back of his horse. “Can I have your swords, too, Sir?”

Ohno loosened the swords from the belt of his kimono and handed them to the guards, he glanced at Sho who did the same. A tall handsome man had come to guide them towards the main castle of the village, he introduced himself as Osamu. 

“It’s an honor to have you here, Ohno-san and Sakurai-san,” he said while walking. “The Daimyo will welcome you officially at the main castle,” he continued. “For the time being, you can take a rest in our guest room and have a meal. It’s dinner time already.”

“Thank you, Osamu-san,” Sho said, glancing at Ohno meaningfully.

“Your dinner will be ready anytime soon,” Osamu said, opening the door for them. “I’ll pick you up when the Daimyo is ready to welcome you,” he added, gesturing them to enter.

Sho slumped on the tatami floor as the door closed. “They have a better security system than our castle,” Sho murmured.

“I hope they have better food as well,” Ohno replied, slumping next to Sho.

Sho shifted closer and brushed Ohno’s hair, “Both of us need a bath,” he chuckled.

Ohno nodded, leaning closer to give Sho a kiss on his lips. “I really wanted to do it since we arrived at the border of this village.”

“You pervert,” Sho smiled.

“If we are going to war, it’s better for us to do it as often as we can, before one of us dies or both of us,” Ohno murmured.

Sho gave no reply, he kissed Ohno’s lips once more, slower this time, his hands were behind Ohno’s nape, pulling him closer. Ohno would give anything to do more with Sho, but they stopped when they heard footsteps come closer and the door opened as two men served them with dinner.

Osamu came to pick them up as they finished dinner. He guided them towards the Daimyo’s quarter. The Daimyo of Fujiwara clan was a man named Fujiwara Tatsuya; he was still young when he took the leadership after his father died from sickness.

Ohno had heard of this man’s reputation, he had an unbelievable ability in creating strategy to defeat his enemy in war. He had beaten three other Daimyos so far which allowed him to take their lands. No wonder that Sho’s father wanted to negotiate with him. 

“Welcome to our humble castle, warriors,” Fujiwara said with a smile on his lips. “I’m honored to receive you tonight. We can leave formality, I guess it will be more comfortable for us,” he added.

“Thank you for having us, Fujiwara-dono,” Sho said. “On the behalf of Asakura clan, I would like to thank you for the warm welcome. My name is Sakurai Sho, I travel with my companion, Ohno Satoshi. We would like to deliver a letter from our Daimyo to you as a proposal to form an alliance.” Sho presented the letter to Fujiwara who took it and read it. He read it again and thought deeply. He stole a glance at Sho and Ohno as if expecting them to speak up.

“I can’t answer you right now, Sakurai-san,” Fujiwara said. “We need time to decide. We will send our man to your territory when I make my decision. Thank you for the letter and please send my regards to your Daimyo.”

“We will wait patiently,” Sho bowed.

When the formal meeting ended, Osamu walked them back to their guest room. “I bet you’re very tired from your journey here. We have prepared a bath, please use it. Should you need anything further, you can tell the guards outside.”

“Thank you, Osamu-san,” Ohno said. “The food is delicious.”

“We’re glad to hear that, please take a proper rest,” he replied, turning around and leaving them.

Sho closed the door and approached Ohno. “I guess we can take a bath together now,” he whispered.

Ohno nodded and started loosening his kimono. It had been a while since he saw Sho’s half-naked body. Sho’s bare chest always sent a prickle to his heart when he saw it back at the training ground, and now Sho was naked right in front of him, within his reach and they were completely alone.

Ohno watched Sho stripped his clothes, he wanted to preserve every nook and cranny of Sho’s body in his mind. “Don’t look at me like that,” Sho said, pausing in his movement from taking off his lower kimono.

“It’s probably the last time we can take a bath together,” Ohno said, approaching Sho. “Show me.”

Sho blushed and it was clearly visible even under the dim light. He used Ohno’s hand to loosen the kimono which innocently fell down to the floor. His hand reached Ohno’s kimono as well and slowly took it off, leaving both of them naked. Ohno traced the line of Sho’s body with his fingers, from the strong jaw, the muscled arms, the flat abs, the full ass. He felt Sho shudder under his touch when he moved his fingers in between his thighs. Sho was already hard when Ohno touched him.

“Satoshi-kun,” he dropped his head to Ohno’s neck and held him tight, trying to hold himself from making any sound as Ohno started to touch the hardened cock.

“Beautiful,” Ohno whispered back.

Sho chuckled silently and pulled away from him. “Let’s take a bath first,” he held Ohno’s hand and led him towards the bathroom. Ohno looked down and saw his own cock which twisted up in compromising hardness.

They took a bath while clutching each other, kissing, touching, one hand on each other’s cock. Sho’s breaths were hot against Ohno’s skin as he buried his head on Ohno’s neck to give him butterfly kisses. When they finished taking a bath, both of them seemed to lose their patience. Ohno led Sho towards the futon, his right hand still worked on Sho’s cock and it didn’t take long until he burst in Ohno’s hand.

“My turn,” he said, crawling towards Ohno and inserting his cock into his warm mouth which made Ohno jerk in pleasure. He bit his lower lip to prevent himself from groaning, the night was too quiet and he knew there were guards outside of this room.

Sho’s mouth was so skillful that he could send Ohno above the clouds. He tugged Sho’s hair when he felt his semen spurted out inside Sho’s mouth. He panted and fell down onto the futon, he had been dreaming about this, having Sho naked in his embrace, tracing the lines of his body all he liked.

“Sho, I love you,” Ohno said without thinking.

“Satoshi-kun,” Sho mumbled an answer, but his eyes were half-closed. Ohno smiled as he pulled the blanket to cover Sho’s body. He gave Sho a kiss on his forehead and slowly freed himself from the man. He wore his kimono and walked out towards the back veranda. He wasn’t sleepy yet and he liked the quietness here, it was perfect for him to think. He looked up to the sky, what if he betrayed his own clan just for Sho? What if he decided to swear his loyalty to Sho’s clan and left his village? Would Nino kill him if he did that?

***

They left for Sho’s village in the afternoon. Osamu walked them up to the border where they got their weapons back.

“We’ll see each other again on another occasion,” the man said, bowing slightly to Ohno and Sho.

“Thank you for your hospitality, please send my gratitude to Fujiwara-dono as well,” Sho said.

“Will do, safe trip, Sakurai-san, Ohno-san,” Osamu replied.

Both of them left the village, feeling a little bit lighter, even though the Fujiwara clan hadn’t given an answer yet to their proposal. They once again enjoyed the scene of the valley from the upper ground before riding their horses with high speed.

Ohno rode behind Sho; he still had a bunch of things that he wanted to talk about with Sho along the way. He didn’t know whether he could do that when he had to return to his own village after accomplishing his mission, which was getting much blurrier now. Half of him wanted to stay beside Sho and help him in whatever he planned, including the rebellion against the Daimyo in the capital of Edo.

“Satoshi-kun, are you alright?” Sho asked when they were close to the village where they would spend the night. “You look like someone deep in thought,” Sho added.

“I’m just thinking about how to be alone with you when we’re back at headquarters,” Ohno answered while flashing a smile at Sho.

“You can sleep in my personal chamber as often as you want,” Sho replied.

“That’s very kind of you,” Ohno said.

They paid for a room in an inn. Sho slept almost right away as his head hit the pillow, but Ohno, as always, felt alert for the first time since their departure from Fujiwara quarter. He had a hunch that somebody was following them ever since they left the valley.

He looked at Sho’s peaceful face, he extended his hand to touch Sho’s cheek, hoping that there would be more nights where he could watch Sho’s sleeping figure.

***

The night had already fallen when both of them almost reached the border of Sho’s village. But something was not right when abruptly they heard many footsteps approaching them. Ohno’s hand automatically found his sword and drew it, Sho did the same beside him. He was ready to attack the enemy when he realized they were cornered by more than 20 men who aimed arrows at them.

“Drop your weapon, Ohno-san!”

Ohno looked around; gripping his sword tightly. No matter how skilled he was in using swords, he wouldn’t be able to avoid all of the arrows. He felt his heart beat wildly inside his ribs; he recognized the voice who spoke to him, he narrowed his eyes and saw a figure come out from the darkness. He wore a helmet and a mask, he lifted his swords in front of his chest as he stepped to the front line of the archers. He brought up his hand to take off his mask, showing a face Ohno had already known.

“Welcome home, Sho-san,” he said to Sho who was cornered by three sword men, preventing him from doing anything to save Ohno.

“Drop your weapon, Ohno-san, you can’t win against us,” Jun said, approaching closer. “Should I call you Mr. Spy who has completely failed in accomplishing his mission?”

Jun stepped closer to him, “A~ where should I begin?” he averted his gaze towards Sho. “It’s the most interesting thing I’ve ever found. A samurai lowers himself to do a pathetic mission as a spy and Sho-kun should know that this rōnin is here to kill his father.”

Ohno didn’t move his sight from Jun, perhaps he had expected this. He didn’t take the chance to accomplish his mission because he wanted to be with Sho and the more he delayed it, the more possibility he would fail. The urge to be with Sho had become his priority before Ohno realized it. Falling for Sho was his biggest mistake in this mission.

“We’ll ask you more questions tomorrow, at the headquarters, so everyone can hear it,” Jun said, pointing his sword at Ohno. “I have found out your true identity and what you’ve planned. It’s a shame, isn’t it? You don’t deserve a title of a samurai anymore,” he moved closer and touched Ohno’s neck with the sword. “Keep him in the prison, he must know how it feels to be humiliated.”

“Satoshi-kun,” Sho yelled, freeing himself from the three men as Ohno was overpowered onto the ground. “Please tell me it’s a lie.”

Ohno didn’t answer. He just looked at Sho’s feet who stood a few meters from him, their gaze met for a few seconds. Ohno couldn’t think straight at the moment; there were too many things that he needed to digest. His heart clenched when his mind went to Nino. Jun didn’t mention anything about Nino which he hoped was a sign that Jun had no idea they were a team.

***

Ohno was taken to a jail which was located separately from the main castle; his eyes were blindfolded to make sure that he wouldn’t fight. His swords were taken away as well and he could hear the mocking from the men who brought him into the jail. But Ohno’s mind wasn’t on them at all, he was busily thinking about Nino and Sho.

He had no access to find out what had happened to Nino and he couldn’t think of how to escape from his situation. Would Sho come to save him regardless of Ohno’s motive to assassinate his father? It felt like a bad dream for Ohno. He had just enjoyed a lovey-dovey time with Sho a few hours ago, but now it felt like something he did years ago in a faraway place.

Ohno smelled something stinky and he knew they had already reached the underground prison. Someone took off his blindfold and pushed him down towards the pile of straw. He lost his balance since his hands were still tied up, they left it on deliberately to make sure that he couldn’t escape.

The prison was dark and cold; Ohno had never been here, but he had heard about this place from Aiba, who told Nino when the three of them visited the teahouse together. It was a typical prison, just like what Ohno had in his village. He never guessed that he would become one of the occupants of this foul-smelling place.

Ohno tried to hear something from his surroundings, wondering whether there was another prisoner in there. But the jail was quiet, there was no sound, he was the only one down here. If Nino was caught, he should be kept in here as well. Ohno just hoped that Nino had escaped before Jun realized his involvement.

He tried to move above the hay to seek a warmer place. He curled up there and tried to calm his nerves down. He knew that Jun kept him alive just to ask him questions regarding his village. Ohno couldn’t guess what Jun did to find out about his plans; was there a possibility that he had checked everything about Ohno’s background?

The answer wouldn’t come out no matter how much Ohno thought about it; he forced his lids to close, ignoring the pain on his wrists which were tightly tied up. He couldn’t bring himself into a sleep, but there was nothing else he could do.

*** 

“Let’s see how much humiliation he can handle,” Ohno heard a familiar voice which belonged to Jun as he and three other men approached the underground prison. “Wake up! We need a little morning walk.” He opened the jail door and touched Ohno with the end of his foot.

Ohno opened his eyes and looked straight into Jun’s sharp gaze. He averted his sight to the three other men behind Jun, one of them which was Aiba who couldn’t hide his worrying expression. If they were in normal situation, Ohno would congratulate the man for the upgrade of his ranking. Ohno didn’t know whether Aiba was worrying about him or was afraid of Jun since it was probably his first duty after he got a promotion to a soldier.

“Let’s ask, Sho-san, what torture works best on him if he refuses to talk,” Jun said, giving Ohno a sign to stand up.

Ohno stood up with much effort; he was completely thirsty and cold. Aiba stepped forward to hold him, pretending to prevent him from escaping. “Nino is alright,” he whispered in Ohno’s ear.

Ohno had no time to thank him as Jun gave them a signal to bring him up towards the clearing where they used to practice swords. There were ten other samurais there including Sho and Takeru. Sho’s expression was very dark, he avoided Ohno’s eyes on purpose.

Aiba pushed him down to a kneeling position, Ohno could see the apology on his face. He kept his gaze on the ground, waiting for what would happen.

“We weren’t ordered to torture him,” Sho said, silencing the whispers which began to spread among the samurais. “We just need to question him.”

“Ho~, what is it now?” Jun replied. “Are you pitying him just because he fucked you?”

Ohno lifted his face to see Sho’s expression. He didn’t look directly at Ohno’s face, his face hardened so did his fists.

“Don’t hesitate, Sho-kun,” Ohno said. “I don’t deserve your pity.”

“You’re right,” Jun said. “Why would we pity a spy like you? If Sho-san wouldn’t lay a hand on you, then I will,” he continued. “Strip him off!”

A man approached him and tore his kimono with a knife, leaving him topless.

“If you talk, we won’t hurt you. You must know how it works, Ohno-san,” Jun squatted before him. He showed a long whip to Ohno and smirked at him. “I don’t want to hurt you in front of Sho-san, actually,” he said.

“Sho has nothing to do with me,” Ohno said. “You already know what I planned, I can’t provide you with more information.” 

“It seems that you’re more stubborn than what I think. Fine, I can do this all day,” Jun stood up and opened the roll of the whip. He walked behind Ohno and was ready to make an impact when Ohno heard a voice interrupt.

“Stop! Let me do it.”

Ohno was taken aback as he heard Sho’s voice. He had believed that Sho had the same feelings as him, he had convinced himself that what they shared wasn’t just pretense. He trusted Sho because he loved the man. He smiled at himself for his own stupidity; there was no way Sho loved him back when he knew his true intention. There was no way for Sho to pity him because they had slept together.

“Make sure you rip him apart,” Jun said.

Ohno wasn’t ready when the whip hit his bare skin, he released a faint scream. He never experienced this kind of pain before, it was worse than a sword impact. “Talk! Ohno!” he said between the strokes.

“Do you think that I feel the same way? Don’t make me laugh. There’s no way I could fall in love with a pathetic person like you.” Sho’s words echoed in that clearing. Hearing it spoken from Sho’s lips was more painful than what Ohno had imagined.

Sho kept on whipping him until Ohno was on the verge of consciousness. He kneeled down and fell towards the hard ground. He panted hard and couldn’t grasp anything except the unbearable pain on his back. Sho was still holding the whip – his expression was even darker than before.

“You can’t question him in this state,” Sho said to Jun while throwing away the whip and staying away from Ohno. “If you still want to question him, you’d better keep him in better form,” he continued while leaving the clearing.

Ohno’s eyes were half-opened, he tried to call Sho’s name, but nothing came past his lips except a groan of pain. 

***

When Ohno opened his eyes; all he could feel was the pain in his back. He found himself inside the prison once again, but he was no longer tied up. Someone had brought him a glass of water and a small bowl of food. He took the glass and drank the water in one gulp. The pain on his back had spread all over his body, sending the pain down his arm as he extended his hand to take the bowl. He forced himself to chew the food; at least it would stop his stomach from growling.

The night seemed to have already fell; if Nino could escape from here, he must have crossed the outer territory of Asakura clan’s land by now. If Sakamoto had already known that their mission failed, there was nothing they could do to prevent the open war. The Shogunate didn’t tolerate war and if it happened, both Hojo and Asakura’s clan would be expelled from the main quarter and would become second class clans for the rest of their life.

Ohno was sure that Sho had known it as well, yet, his father still wanted to start a rebellion. There was something fishy about it; even the mission to Fujiwara’s territory seemed suspicious. Six days were enough to get rid of Sho from whatever meetings Jun or the other samurais planned to conduct. Something which didn’t need Sho’s involvement in it, and Jun must have made a deal to make Sho agree on what he was up to.

Ohno didn’t see Sho’s expression that clearly when the man demanded him to speak; come to think of it, there was a possibility that he took the whip to protect Ohno from leaking the secret of his clan. Ohno shook his head; no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t get himself out of here except if he could dig a hole deep enough which allow him to climb to the outside of the prison.

It seemed they hadn’t decided when to execute him or perhaps they would let him die slowly here. If his wound got infected and if they let him dehydrate, he wouldn’t be able to hold on for a week. What a pathetic way to die, Ohno thought miserably.

He tried to close his eyes, but the pain in his back kept him awake. He didn’t know how much time had passed when he heard a muffled sound of someone’s footsteps.

He opened his lids, preparing for the worst, but what he saw had made him even more nervous.

“Ohno-san, let’s get out of here, we don’t have much time,” Aiba said with trembling hands as he unlocked the key of the prison’s door. “Sho-san is waiting outside, he has knocked the guards out, we have to hurry,” the man continued.

Ohno had no intentions to ask questions; he let Aiba support him towards the exit. Sho was waiting and together with Aiba, he helped Ohno out.

“I got you your horse, it will take you to your village,” Sho said, indicating that he didn’t want any interruptions. “I’ll accompany you towards the border, but we have to take a hidden route. We’d better hurry.”

“Sho-kun,” Ohno said but Sho shook his head.

“We have no time to talk,” he replied, avoiding Ohno’s gaze. “Come on.”

Ohno leaned on Sho as the man guided him towards Kurama, there were too many questions he wanted to ask, but they had no time for that. Sho helped him climb the horse and covered him with a blanket to hide him.

“Just in case,” he said. “Thank you, Aiba-kun. You can return to your place and pretend that nothing has happened,” Sho said to Aiba.

Ohno couldn’t see Aiba’s face, but he could imagine his expression. He heard footsteps walk away and heard Sho jump on his own horse.

Ohno remained hidden along the way. Sho was in front of him, guiding the way. Sho had betrayed his own clan by letting Ohno free and no matter how much privilege he had as a General’s son it wouldn’t be enough to justify his actions.

“You can continue on your own now,” Sho said from his left side. “Should we meet again, it will be in a battlefield,” he added.

Ohno lifted the blanket and looked into Sho’s eyes; it was dark, but he could still see the toughness of Sho’s face.

“I am your enemy, Ohno-san,” Sho said, his voice was unlike anybody else Ohno had ever met. “As an enemy, I don’t want you to face a pathetic death. You’re a fine warrior and you deserve the best way to die.”

“Thank you, Sho-kun,” Ohno replied, despite many things he wanted to tell Sho. He wanted Sho to know that he loved him for real; he wanted Sho to know that he chose to be alive because he needed to meet Sho again, even though it would mean they had to fight each other.

“Good bye, Ohno-san,” Sho said.

“Good bye, Sho,” Ohno replied. He rode the horse away from the border area, away from Sho. The pain he felt in his chest was more unbearable than any of his physical wounds. He wasn’t supposed to fall in love, not when he had to live as a warrior.

Kurama ran through the darkness as if knowing that they must hurry. Ohno couldn’t imagine what would welcome him at his own village. His failure was the cause of all of this, he had no more right to claim his position as a captain of his squad. He reminded himself that he had thrown away his dignity when he agreed to take this mission.

It took four days for him to reach the outer border of his village and it would need one more day to reach the castle. He survived from Aiba’s rice balls which he packed for Ohno in a small pouch on Kurama’s saddle. Kurama made a sharp turn to the right towards the main path, he didn’t go far when two horses chased him.

“Ohchan!” Ohno heard Nino’s voice.

Ohno stopped the horse and looked at his friend with a longing relief. Okada was right behind Nino, he was one of Ohno’s underlings. Nino approached him and looked at him with agony on his face. Ohno knew he must have looked like shit now.

“You’re injured,” he took a glance at Ohno’s appearance.

“Let’s hurry to the castle, you can ride with me,” Nino said when Ohno felt all of his strength abandon him. The energy that he somehow summoned to be at his village had finally failed, he almost fell down from Kurama’s back, only delayed a second as Okada caught him.

“He’s not in a good state,” Ohno heard Okada’s voice before falling into unconsciousness.

***

Ohno heard voices, but they were unclear, he still tried to grasp what had happened. He opened his heavy lids slowly, adjusting his sight to the dim light of the room. He was in his own village after more than six months. He was lying on his stomach; somebody had taken care of the wounds on his back, the pain was no longer killing him, but now it was so stiff that he couldn’t move.

“Ohchan, how do you feel?” Nino said as soon as he entered the room. “Sakamoto summons us in the afternoon,” he added without waiting for Ohno’s answer.

Ohno gathered his strength; he pushed himself off the bed and sat down, facing Nino who gave a signal to two men who delivered food to the room.

“You’d better eat first,” Nino said.

“How did you escape?” Ohno asked while reaching for the water.

“That will be my question to you as well,” Nino took a deep breath before continuing. “First of all, there was chaos during your absence. The news about the rebellion had spread, I presume that we were not the only spies infiltrating that clan. The Shogunate was informed about the development inside Asakura castle and an official letter has been sent to them,” Nino paused to give time for Ohno to digest his explanation.

“That letter was a command from the Shogun to Asakura clan to empty their castle within a month. They will be expelled from their own home, but of course it isn’t that simple. The general committed seppuku that night and the leadership shifted to Jun who chose to stand in the castle and fight the Shogunate army.”

“Jun?”

“I bet he was the one who gave the order to beat you up, because he was angry to every outsider and it’s reasonable, given the fact that he would bring the whole clan to the death battle,” Nino said.

“How about the Daimyo?”

“The Daimyo of Asakura clan agreed to stand in their castle,” Nino shrugged.

“We were there for nothing,” Ohno shook his head.

“We have sent piles of reports and Hojo-dono used it to predict Asakura’s movement. Sakamoto told me that he wants to meet you in person,” Nino said, flashing a weak smile for the first time.

“Hojo-dono?” Ohno confirmed.

“You’re the first samurai who risked your honor for the clan and he appreciates your sacrifice, he also heard that you’re the best sword master this clan could have, so our mission doesn’t count as a failure, it gives you another credit instead.”

Ohno looked down at the bowl in his hands; he didn’t really understand what Nino said about Hojo Daimyo. His dream to become one of the Shogunate army was forgotten a long time ago since he wanted to dedicate himself to the Hojo clan. He got the position of an upper rank with rather a great struggle. He was just a sword maker in the first place who happened to be able to use the swords better than anyone else.

“You still haven’t answered my question about how you escaped from Asakura’s territory,” Ohno said as he finished all of the food.

“With a little help from Aiba,” Nino replied. “He doesn’t like the idea of war, but he will fight for his clan.”

Ohno had already guessed it was Aiba who saved Nino, he was the one who told Ohno that Nino was alright. Ohno’s mind went to Sho; his stomach clenched in an unpleasant way as he remembered Sho’s words to him as they parted at Asakura’s border.

“Is there anything to save them from the death battle?” Ohno mumbled.

“Are you worrying about Sho-san?” Nino asked. “You love him, don’t you?”

Ohno looked at Nino’s eyes and nodded without hesitation.

***

Nino helped him dress since his body was still stiff due to his wounds and the tight bandage on his back. Both of them headed towards Sakamoto’s chamber where he had been waiting for them. Ohno and Nino sat down across from the man and bowed in respect.

“I have failed the mission, I deserve a punishment,” Ohno said as he raised his head.

“You didn’t particularly fail, Satoshi,” Sakamoto replied. “The Shogunate has expected this to happen, besides, they ordered us to spy on Asakura to test our loyalty.”

“I don’t get it,” Nino said from Ohno’s right side. “We never planned that kind of stupid thing towards Edo Bakufu.”

Sakamoto inhaled deeply. “We did, a long time ago.”

There was a pause before Sakamoto continued, his gaze shifted to Ohno. “Hojo-dono wants to meet you in person, there’s something he needs you to do.”

“Sakamoto-san, Ohchan hasn’t recovered from his wound,” Nino protested, but Ohno pat his shoulder and shook his head.

“I’m fine, Nino.”

Nino seemed to swallow his words back when he nodded at Ohno. He stood up as Sakamoto told them that it was time for them to meet the Daimyo. Nino stayed behind meanwhile Ohno and Sakamoto walked along the corridor towards the main chamber of Hojo Daimyo.

They were welcomed by two guards on the door, they guided the way towards the Daimyo’s chamber and informed their arrival. Sakamoto and Ohno bowed before the Daimyo’s seat and didn’t rise their head until they were told to do so.

The Daimyo of Hojo clan was a middle-aged man with a firm looking appearance. He wore a nice dark kimono, his sword was neatly inserted on his belt. He went straight to the point when he told Ohno that he wanted him to join the main troop and travel to Edo within four days.

“I’ve heard of your dedication to our clan and it’s the only reward I can give you,” the man said. “The Shogunate wants us to gather to discuss the Asakura issue. I got the latest news that they agreed to negotiate.”

Sho, Ohno thought as the Daimyo spoke. Sho had told him that he preferred diplomacy over war, but the majority didn’t think the same way and he got himself cornered every time he tried to deliver his opinions. Now, that he could guess the reason behind Sho’s suicide attempt.

“You may recommend someone to be your assistant during our trip,” Hojo said.

“Thank you, Hojo-dono. It’s an honor to do this duty, I will do my best to serve you,” Ohno bowed deeply.

“You may leave, the information about the departure will be delivered to you. The things you need during the trip will be taken care of,” the Daimyo said.

“Thank you,” both of them bowed again and left the main chamber. Sakamoto walked ahead of Ohno in silence, he seemed in deep thought. Ohno watched his own steps along the corridor; he never guessed that he would be chosen as one of the companions for the Daimyo’s troop to Edo just because he risked his life in Asakura. But he had nothing to complain, he would grab the chance and would dedicate himself the best he could.

“Nino,” he called his friend when they were already inside their own quarters. “I’ll choose you to become my assistant for the trip.”

Nino smiled at him as if he had already expected this. “Who else do you think can be your best companion?” he said.

***

The travel to Edo was too slow for Ohno’s liking. They moved in a group, shaping a certain formation to protect the Daimyo. Ohno and Nino were behind the Daimyo’s cart along with ten other men, riding their respective horses. Ohno couldn’t push the thoughts out of his mind about Sho. He must be heading to the Edo quarter now; what kind of a bargain had Sho made to save his village? Ohno had met many warriors before he met Sho, the man had a different approach towards the bushido. That was why he was underestimated by his own father and comrades. If Sho succeeded in saving his village without any wars, then everyone would stop thinking negatively about him.

Did it mean that Sho had gotten the leadership from Jun’s hand? Contrary to Sho, Jun was way too emotional and clumsy, just like the way he fought with his sword. Ohno didn’t hate Jun, but he also didn’t have a particular liking towards the man. They were too different in terms of personality and it would take years to befriend someone like Jun.

Nino didn’t mention anything about Aiba except that the man helped Nino to escape from the village. Ohno knew that both of them were close, only that Nino didn’t admit it. Knowing Nino for this long of a time, Ohno could tell that he missed Aiba in his own way.

They reached Edo in almost two weeks with many stops in between. Ohno’s wound had already healed now, allowing him to practice swords during the stops. It helped him to forget his longing towards Sho when he concentrated on his movements. He wasn’t sure they could have what they shared if they met again, no matter how much Ohno wanted it.

He still wanted to feel Sho’s warmth against his skin, he wanted to kiss Sho’s soft lips, he wanted to hear Sho’s whispers in his ears that he loved Ohno. It was the first time for Ohno to not regret the mistake he had committed by falling in love with Sho and almost abandoning his mission because of it.

“We’re here,” Nino said, waking him up from his run of thoughts.

Ohno looked up to the top of the castle building. If he was here in happier days, he would probably admire the building, but his mind wasn’t on it at all. All he could think of was the upcoming meeting with the other clans including Asakura with Sho as the representative general.

“We still have a night to worry over everything,” Nino smiled weakly at him as if reading what was in Ohno’s mind.

“You’re right,” Ohno replied.

They entrusted their horses to the main stable of the castle and headed towards the room which was prepared for the Hojo clan.

“Nino, you can go ahead, I want to look around for a while,” Ohno said.

“Okay,” Nino said. “Let me carry your stuff then,” he extended his hand to take Ohno’s belongings.

“Thanks,” Ohno said.

They separated in different directions. Ohno had seen the symbol of Asakura on the way here, he wanted to make sure that he didn’t just imagine it. It wasn’t an easy thing to look for a single person inside this massive castle. Ohno walked from one compound to another, trying to look for the symbol of the Asakura, hoping to find Sho by the tiniest coincidence.

“You’ll be labeled as a suspicious guy if you keep on looking around like that.”

Ohno stopped his step as he heard a voice from across the bridge he had just crossed. He spun around and saw Sho – the real flesh and blood. Both of them stared at each other for a long time before Ohno could call Sho’s name.

“Sho-kun…”

“Good to see you, Ohno-san,” Sho answered with a formal tone, stressing the last words where he addressed Ohno by his last name. No smile on his lips, his gaze was sharp and alert which reminded Ohno of the night when he prevented Sho from committing seppuku. The coldness in Sho’s eyes sent a chill to Ohno’s chest, but he was relieved that Sho was really here and in good shape.

“They will decide what to do to our clan tomorrow morning based on my arguments,” Sho said. “It’s not a thing we can be proud of,” he continued.

“I believe you have made the right decision,” Ohno replied. “Good luck, Sho-kun.”

Sho didn’t thank him; he spun around and walked away from Ohno. The latter watched Sho’s back and no matter how cold Sho treated him, Ohno could tell that he wasn’t the only one who walked around the castle just to find a single person.

He returned to his own compound and found Nino at the back veranda, checking the arrows one by one as if he was preparing for a death battle on the next day.

“Did you find him?” Nino asked him without lifting his head from the arrows.

“He talked to me as if we never knew each other,” Ohno answered, sitting down beside Nino.

“I’d probably do the same if I were him,” Nino replied, finally looking at Ohno. “He whipped you without mercy, there is no way for him to pretend it never happened. I think he wants to apologize properly, but not now.”

Ohno let go of a deep sigh and tried not to think of the next day.

***

Sho delivered his argument on behalf of Asakura clan in front of the representatives of the Shogunate. Ohno listened to his speech which in principal apologized deeply to the Shogunate for their reckless movement and would accept any punishment. Ohno glanced at Jun who sat down at the front row, chin held up high as if showing them that he didn’t want to be here in the first place.

They were dismissed right after and were told to wait for the final punishment from the Shogun himself. The representative clans left the room towards their respective compound and talked along the way about Asakura and what kind of punishment would suit their mistake. Ohno didn’t join the conversation, only mumbled an answer when one of the troop members asked him about his opinion since he was there when Asakura planned everything.

***

The decision on Asakura’s clan was announced the next morning, but Ohno wasn’t there to witness it. He chose to stay away from the main building and wandered at the nearest huge park where the trees lined up so close to each other that it was hard to see his surroundings.

He climbed one of the trees and sat down at the biggest branch while starring at the clear morning sky. It reminded him of his first encounter with Sho at the forest near Asakura castle; come to think of it, he had fallen in love with Sho since that night. He didn’t plan to, it was something beyond his calculation and he did nothing to control what he felt. He always told himself that love wasn’t something for a warrior; loving someone meant he must ready to let go, but he didn’t want to lose Sho, not now.

Footsteps were heard from the direction of the castle, Ohno averted his gaze from the sky to the figure who was running towards the forest. He was someone he had been expecting. “Sho,” Ohno called to theman while jumping off the tree. Sho was holding a sword in each of his hands, he turned around to Ohno, his eyes were bloodshot, his lips trembled, and his hair was in a mess.

“The fate of the Asakura clan is over,” he mumbled. “They decided to send us as rōnin, it’s the most dishonorable thing, it’s worse than serving in a prison,” he smiled at Ohno, but it was a kind of sarcastic smile, something with a hopelessness inside it. “It was all my fault, I didn’t deliver my argument good enough for the sake of my clan and all the people in my village,” he continued.

“You did your best,” Ohno said, but Sho seemed too upset to listen.

“Draw your sword, Ohno-san. I challenge you to the death in a sword battle.”

Ohno was taken aback when he heard it, he looked confusedly at Sho who was ready to attack and before he could think, the man had run forward towards his direction with both of his swords held up high. Ohno drew his own swords and countered the attack, knowing that what Sho needed the most right now was to unleash the stress within him.

“How could you betray your bushido and became a spy to our territory,” Sho said while attacking Ohno with such a blind movement. His eyes weren’t focused and he kept on rumbling about his father’s stupidity which led him into his death and resulted in this kind of dishonor.

“It’s my way,” Ohno answered while dodging Sho’s hit which almost tore his kimono. “Just like you who prefer diplomacy than war.”

“Don’t throw my words back at me!” Sho yelled, wobbling behind as he failed to avoid Ohno’s kick on his side. Sho screamed in frustration and swung his swords everywhere. Ohno reached for Sho’s wrist and twisted it around, Sho dropped his sword and fought to get free, but Ohno didn’t want to continue this meaningless fight or Sho would wound himself with his reckless movements.

“Let go of me!” Sho shouted at Ohno.

“Stop it, Sho,” Ohno said, pressing him to the ground. “Stop it.”

“You’ve had enough,” Ohno loosened his grip on Sho and let the other man take proper breaths.

“You don’t understand a thing,” Sho’s voice trembled, as he slowly sat up and when Ohno pulled him into his embrace, Sho didn’t fight him.

“Perhaps I don’t understand a thing,” Ohno mumbled. “But I want to be the person you can lean on when you’re too weak to stand on your own.”

Sho sobbed and finally let himself cry, he buried his face on Ohno’s chest and poured out all of his frustration. Ohno ran his fingers through Sho’s hair, and bent to land a kiss on the top of Sho’s head, ignoring the fact that Sho probably hadn’t washed in days since he was too anxious for the final decision for his clan.

“You’re too tired, we’d better go back to the compound,” Ohno said when Sho was calm enough.

“I don’t want to return to my quarters,” he whispered.

“I didn’t say that you have to return there,” Ohno replied, helping Sho to rise off the ground. He collected their swords and inserted them into their scabbards. Sho was looking at him as if apologizing for what he had done, but no words formed from his mouth. “Let’s go back.”

Sho nodded, and this time he gave Ohno a sincere smile.

***

A year later…

The smith was located at the corner of the Hojo clan’s village, the sound of the hammer which hit the hot iron could be heard from a distance. The smith’s reputation was widely known by the surrounding villages; the samurais even travelled far from their respective villages just to order a sword.

Ohno wiped the sweat on his forehead as he forged a sword which was ordered by the Takeda clan’s Daimyo. The representative had paid in advance for their order and it was up to him to decide what model he thought would suit the Daimyo’s character. It was already dark outside, but he kept on working until a hand touched his shoulder.

“You need some dinner.”

Ohno stopped and turned around, Sho extended his hand to brush the dirt on his hair. “You always forget to wear a cloth to cover your hair, Satoshi-kun,” he said.

“Sorry,” Ohno smiled at the man. “You’re right about dinner, I need it the most right now.”

“Come, we have guests.” Sho led the way out from the smith towards their lodge. He heard familiar voices inside and laughter from the people he missed the most. He stepped inside and found Nino, Aiba and unexpectedly Jun, seated on the tatami floor. All of them turned to Ohno as he entered; Nino rose off of the floor and gave him a brief hug.

“You’re full of dirt,” he mumbled.

“When did you return from Edo?” Ohno asked.

“A few hours ago, and I can’t wait any longer to meet my old friends,” he smiled broadly. Nino had been chosen as a weapon trainer replacing Ohno when he denied the position. He preferred to become a smith once again like his father did and live peacefully with Sho at the corner of Hojo village rather than staying in Edo. Nino seemed to enjoy his new work at the capital, he had sent a few letters to Ohno, telling him how the Edo warriors were just a bunch of idiots who couldn’t even use a sword.

Aiba meanwhile worked as a cook in Edo castle, he told Ohno that his soul belonged to food instead of battle. Ohno didn’t know what Jun did after the whole clan of Asakura were sent to become rōnin and perhaps he would get an explanation anytime now since Jun was here.

“It’s nice to meet you both, how’s things going?” Aiba asked, looking back and forth at Ohno and Sho.

“Sho is as fussy as always,” Ohno replied which earn a chuckle from Nino and Aiba.

“He will die if I don’t remind him to take a proper rest and eat three times a day,” Sho shook his head, handing him a glass of water.

“I’m glad to have you all here,” Ohno looked around at all his friends and stopped on Jun. “How are you doing, Jun-kun?” he asked the man who jolted as if Ohno had yelled at him.

Jun needed a moment to answer the question, his thick eyebrows furrowed, “I’m performing Kabuki,” he said with a tiny voice. “A beginner,” he added.

“That’s awesome,” Ohno said, smiling at the man. Jun replied with a soft grin.

“We should watch your performance together, right Sho?” he asked Sho who nodded immediately.

“Yes, but first, we have to eat now, I can’t hold it anymore,” Nino said, grabbing the box from his side. Aiba had cooked more than enough for the five of them, he prepared the bowls and chopsticks while Ohno went to the back side of the lodge to wash.

They ate and drank sake while listening to each other’s story. None of them mentioned what happened a year ago; they decided to live a brand-new life and even though none of them were warriors anymore, they still followed the bushido in their own way. Sho travelled to Hojo castle once a week to teach history for the young samurais. Ohno stayed at the smiths the whole time since the orders were getting more and more each week. He had hired two assistants, Touma and Kazama to help him, but he still needed more hands to fulfill the immediate order.

When Nino, Aiba and Jun had left for the nearby inn, Ohno pulled Sho into a hug and kissed his lips playfully. “I just realized that I miss you,” Ohno mumbled.

“Let’s go to bed, I have an important day tomorrow,” Sho said, chuckling as he saw Ohno’s scowl. “Just a little bit, but don’t keep me awake for a long time, will you.”

“I can’t promise you that,” Ohno said, leaning into Sho and kissing him deeper. Perhaps this peaceful moment wouldn’t last forever, but for now, Ohno wanted to enjoy it to the fullest with someone he loved the most and if and when the time came, he would once again become a warrior.

The end


End file.
